Jenan Matari had just begun promoting her debut children's book this season when the event cancellations began. First, a Los Angeles bookstore canceled her appearance after what the author characterized as pressure from local community members. A staff member who had booked the event refused to cancel it, and the store fired her. Two days later, another employee quit in solidarity.
Then came New Jersey. A community bookstore in Montclair was set to host her next reading but abruptly canceled, stating in an emailed statement it was "to ensure the security of our staff and customers".
Root Cause for These Cancellations
Everything Grows in Jiddo's Garden, a picture book about a Palestinian child discovering her heritage through her family traditions, rooted in his own father's traditions from the region.
Across the country and a few months prior, Safa Suleiman was traveling to the city for her first ever school visit for her publishing debut. She received a call mid-flight: the Arabic and Hindi language school had called off her appearance because of a recent article on her personal site where she had shared details about her relatives being lost in military actions in Gaza.
"I never found representation in youth literature as a child, and I was preparing to present my book with children who may never have seen themselves in children's books either," Suleiman stated.
Pattern of Censorship
Such incidents are representative of a wave of censorship that has spread through the US since 7 October 2023, interviews with multiple writers indicate. Canceled appearances, restricted materials, and organized opposition have increased through schools, public libraries, and retail stores, targeting authors who have either focused on cultural heritage, have supported Palestinian rights, or been caught in the backlash merely because of their visibly Muslim identity.
For the Palestinian American authors, the pattern reminds them of an uncomfortable and peculiar reality: that their very existence is considered problematic, and presenting positive narratives that define their childhood – regardless of content – can trigger coordinated efforts accusing them of seeding antisemitism and hatred.
Research Findings on Palestinian Narratives
According to recent analysis by author and educator Nora Lester Murad, there have been numerous children's books focusing specifically on Palestinian narratives exist for K-12 readers. There has been an increase in the past decade – nearly half of cultural publications over recent decades were released between the past five years. Yet much of this growth comes from self-publishing, with approximately one-third of recent titles self-published as traditional publishers remain reluctant gatekeepers.
"There's a clear attempt to reject the people," the author explained. "Now that we've broken through this industry and there's increased representation coming out, it's like … we can't stop people from accessing these narratives. So they attempt to prevent people from connecting with authors, or associating the writers with the narratives that they write."
"Free expression isn't guaranteed to all people in this nation, particularly if you're of Palestinian heritage," she added.
Literary Freedom Awareness
The designated period of October is Literary Freedom Week in the US and is a period designed to spotlight censored voices. However writers focusing on Palestinian themes are finding themselves at the forefront of a emerging pattern of book restrictions, though the publications being contested do not promote specific viewpoints or promote hatred. They tell straightforward narratives of family gardens and olive trees, of young people navigating personal identity and language, of family traditions maintained across generations, leading authors to realize that it's their existence that appears to be the provocation.
"In addition to separating us from our homeland and from our community," Matari stated, "currently there are attempts to disconnect us from our narratives."
State Policy and Legal Measures
Beginning with angry emails and last-minute cancellations is also becoming encoded in state policy. Recently, California governor the official signed a pair of bills into law aimed at addressing prejudice and religious discrimination in educational settings. The legislation establishes an office of civil rights and an antisemitism prevention coordinator, and requires school districts to examine and implement changes when "discriminatory content is used in educational settings or staff training".
The concern present in the world of children authors is that the vague language could be employed to categorize their publications and their stories as problematic, giving government authorities legal cover to further suppress cultural stories from schools, and perhaps witness these limitations expand in additional regions and various institutions.
Personal Accounts of Censorship
Earlier this month, Hannah Moushabeck received a call about an scheduled appearance at the educational institution in the city, where she had been invited to speak about her publication her cultural narrative and the censorship attempts against it. University administrators told her that her publication contravened the state's compelled speech and balance mandates because it "failed to present two sides to the narrative". Moushabeck could participate in the appearance, officials told her, but she was prohibited from reading from her publication.
However, this wasn't the initial instance with restrictions this writer had to endure. She reported multiple appearances called off over the past year and the threats became physical at her nephew's elementary school in Amherst, Massachusetts last year. "I was required to come at the institution at early morning and go in through the rear entrance with a protection detail," the author said. A Jewish friend accompanied her for additional protection while institutional safety and police remained on standby. "I remember having to conduct my presentation and maintain composure on my face and remain composed, because I really didn't want my nephew to see that we were at risk."
Further Examples of Limitations
At another institution, a Quaker school in Philadelphia, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow was planned for an all-day visit to introduce her publication Sister Friend – a story about friendship between a Black girl and a peer who practices her faith. Shortly before the recent appearance, administrators declared a delay.
"They felt that in the period that we were in, it was a safety precaution," the author recalled. What followed was an extended period of rearranging without firm dates, ending with cancellation in early this year after approximately Jewish parents requested the school remain "a secure environment for particular students".
"I felt like the microscope was on me as soon as they recognized that, oh, this is a Muslim author and she said something about Palestine," the author, who wears a hijab, said. "There's pressure to demonstrate that you're not promoting of being an antisemite if you have any pro-Palestinian commentary. Even mentioning, 'This resource to donate to children' – that becomes political."
Social Media Consequences
Autumn Allen experienced similar targeting last year when multiple planned school visits were called off, including one in the Pennsylvania district shortly before the appearance.
The author, who creates youth literature and picture books, was planned to discuss her work when parents began flooding the institution with objections after seeing event information. But the content of her work {wasn't the issue|wasn
